


Cold Nights

by Axelrocks



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-12
Updated: 2014-04-11
Packaged: 2017-12-11 17:01:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/801028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Axelrocks/pseuds/Axelrocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl decides to check up on Carol before heading to his perch for the night. Rated for language. This will be a series of one shots. Most of them will deal with the night and some will be slightly mature.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jesus Christ, he felt like some kind of pervert, standing there and watching her sleep. Hell, he had a perfectly good perch he should be in, but he had wanted to check up on her first.

The sight of how peaceful she looked, lying there, kept him rooted in the doorway of her cell. The thin blanket she had was pulled up so that her pert nose was peeking over the top. She shivered slightly and tucked her knees closer to her body.

Of course, she was cold. That blanket was as thin as paper and barely covered her small frame. Shit, he had a better one in his perch. It at least kept him semi-warm at night.

With a sigh, he left her cell and went to retrieve the blanket. She was going to need it more than him anyway and they couldn't risk her getting sick. She and Beth were the only two that really took care of Judith and they couldn't risk getting her sick as well.

Being as quiet as he could, he entered her cell after retrieving the blanket and was about to drape it over body, when her hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.

He nearly pissed himself.

She turned to her back and looked up at him with a small smile. "Are you going to join me this time or are you just going to stand there and watch me sleep."

His cheeks began to flame at her words. She had known he had been standing there watching her the whole time. What kind of creep did she think he was now?

"I brought you a damn blanket so ya ass wouldn't freeze." He went to leave, but her grip on him tightened.

"And what are you going to use to cover up?" She was sitting up now and the grip on his wrist didn't let up.

"I don't need a fuckin' blanket." He grumbled, wishing she would let him go, so he could run away like the pussy he was.

"Bullshit." Dropping his wrist, she moved over so that her arm was almost pressed against the concrete wall. "Get in." She pulled up the corner of both blankets and looked at him expectantly.

"Wha'?"

Was she really asking, no telling, him to get into bed with her? What had made her think that that was an all right question to ask him?

"You heard me, Dixon. Now get your ass in bed."

Crossing his arms, he glared at her. "No."

Flinging the blankets off her legs, she crawled towards the edge of the bed and glared right back at him. "Are we really going to do this right now? It's freezing tonight and since I have your only blanket you need someway to keep warm."

"Said I was fine, woman." No way in hell was he going to budge. Just because he dreamed of sharing a bed with her on occasion didn't mean that he was actually going to do it.

"Alright then."

He thought that was it, thought that she had given up, but then suddenly her small hands grabbed at his forearms and yanked.

Jesus Christ, this woman was strong!

Within seconds, he had gone from standing to being forced into her bunk, narrowly missing smacking his head on the top bed.

Still in shock, he laid there and looked up at the woman that was now looming over him with a shit-eating grin.

He didn't even know Carol had a shit-eating grin. This woman was full of surprises.

"There," Still smiling, she patted his cheek lightly. "That's much better."

She turned to roll away from him, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, surprising himself. He slipped his hand from her grasp and she now had a hand on either side of his chest. If she had long hair he knew that it would be curtaining around his face now.

"So what are ya going to do now? Since ya got me in bed and all."

Was he fucking flirting with her? Especially now that she was practically on top of him. Then he saw something in her eyes that made his heart stop. She was giving him the same look she had giving him on top of that bus, which seemed so long ago.

Fuck.

She moved and soon was straddling him. Her hips making contact with his and settling there. He tried to mask the jerk he gave when her hips came in contact with...there.

"Oh, I can think of lots of things we can do." Smirking, she lowered her head so her face brushed against the crook of his neck.

He waited to feel the brush of her lips against the sensitive skin, but it didn't come. He didn't feel her breath either, as if she was holding it and waiting. Waiting for him to do something.

So, he did what he had wanted to do for a long time and grasped her waist, pulling her even more closely.

She let out the breath she had been holding and he closed his eyes as it blew over his collarbone. Then she slowly started to kiss and nip lightly along his neck. One particularly sharp nip caused him to buck his hips up.

She gasped and burrowed her face further into his shoulder, unable to move for a few minutes.

Slowly he began to pull up the long nightshirt she wore and didn't stop until his hands made contact with her soft flesh. The feel of it caused him to groan.

"Something wrong?" She pulled back slightly and looked down at him.

"Naw." He shook his head and gripped her hips tighter.

"Okay." Then she began to feather kisses along his jaw, slowly making her way to his lips. Oh God, they were going to go there.

Finally.

She kissed the corner of his mouth, and then pulled back slightly. Their noses brushed and they laid there, looking at each with wide eyes.

She was waiting on him again.

Leaning up slightly, he finally crushed his lips to hers. It only took her a second, but soon she was kissing him back just as feverishly. With one smooth move, he had flipped her over and his body covered hers. There lips never disconnected.

There was no turning back now.  
\-------------------------------------

Merle had just gotten up to take a piss when he decided to check up on his baby brother. Making his way to the perch, where he normally found him, he was confused to find it empty.

Where the fuck was he?

He knew that he didn't have watch that night and he had walked past the part of the block where they had meals and didn't see anyone there.

His eyes immediately went to Carol's cell.

Walking as quietly as he could, he made his way to her cell and stopped suddenly in the doorway. The scene before him made him smirk.

Clothes littered the floor of the cell. Carol's bra and one of Daryl's sleeveless shirts stuck out to him and he moved his eyes over to the bed and there they were. Blissfully sleeping. Carol snuggled up against his brother's side, her head on his bare chest and his arm wrapped protectively around her.

They were both naked and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what had gone down in there a few hours earlier.

"About time, baby brother." He muttered to himself as he made his way back to his own cell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: A chilly night out. Daryl has asked Carol to join him on an overnight hunting trip. He wants her there for more than just hunting. Slightly mature

Carol sat near the fire, a worn blanket wrapped around her shoulders. It wasn't doing much to keep her warm, but it kept the wind out. Reaching over, she grabbed out of the small logs Daryl had left for her and threw it on the still blazing embers.

Daryl had been gone for several minutes, circling the perimeter and making sure there were no threats; human or undead.

Fingering the large bowie knife he had left her, she hoped she wouldn't have to use it. If she had to though, she would. Daryl had made sure of that.

Daryl had made sure of a lot of things; like making sure she ate her share of food, that she rested after a long day and that she knew how to use every weapon they had. He made sure that she survived, that she lived and she loved him for it.

Leaves rustled behind her and she immediately grabbed the knife and turned around, ready to stab a walker in the head. Instead of the walking dead, she came face to face with a dirty redneck.

He smirked at her, eyes glancing at the knife she had raised above her head. "Good girl."

"You say that like I'm some kind of dog." She huffed and reclaimed her seat near the fire. She smiled at him over her shoulder, to let him know that she hadn't taken any offense to it.

Daryl unslung his crossbow from his back and set it close to her, then took his seat behind her. Spreading his legs, he wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her against his chest.

"Ya cold?" His voice muffled as he burrowed his face in the crook of her neck, kissing it.

"I'm getting warmer." she tilted her head to the side and allowed him better access. She loved these little moments with him and was glad he had asked her to go on this overnight hunting tripping with him.

She suspected that he had only asked her to come along was to do something other than hunt. Not that she was complaining.

He brought his calloused hands up on her arms and began to rub them and even though she was getting warmer she couldn't help but shiver at his touch.

"So," she gasped when he nipped at her earlobe. "When will we being using that tent?"

"Not now." He growled, one of his hands crept under her shirt and his fingers danced over the cup of her bra. One of his fingers slipped underneath the fabric. She gasped.

His breath tickled her ear as he spoke again. "Have ya ever made love outside before?"

"N-No." She shuddered.

Since this whole thing with Daryl had begun they had had sex in their cell, the watchtower, the laundry room and even in the shower, but never outside. The idea intrigued her. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted it to happen. The more she wanted him.

Turning around, she buried her hands in his hair and crushed her lips to his, unable to wait any longer. She straddled him and was about to rip his shirt off, when his hands grabbed her wrists.

"Hold on, woman." His voice was deep and husky with desire. "We got plenty of time."

Time. That wasn't something they hadn't had that much of in the prison. They were always afraid of someone catching them in the act. Beth had walked in once, after one of their sessions, holding a fussy baby Judith. They had barely enough time to cover their sweaty bodies.

Beth still couldn't look either one of them in the eye.

Carol brought her hands to her lap and watched him. He gave her a small smile before he reached over for the blanket and laid it on the ground. Not once breaking eye contact, he lifted her up, laid her down on it and rested between her legs.

"This a'right?" He asked, fingers playing with the top button of her blouse.

She could only nod as she lost herself in the desire in his blue eyes. Tonight was going to be different from the other nights they had been together, she could already feel it.

Slowly he began to unbutton her shirt, savoring each inch of exposed skin with his lips and tongue. He never had time to savor her body before and by God, he was going to tonight.

Carol lifted herself up, with Daryl's help shrugged off the unbuttoned and shirt; then reached back, and unclasped her bra. Daryl's eyes widened at the sight, like they always did and she blushed at his obvious desire for her. Like she always did.

"I love ya."

"What?" She breathed, unsure if she had heard him right. "Daryl, what did you just say?"

He wasn't looking at her. "I said, I loved ya, woman." He took a deep breath. "I-If ya don't feel that way about me, I understand."

"Daryl." She brought a hand to his cheek and turned his head gently, so he could face her. "I love you, too."

"Yeah?" He asked, shyly.

"Yeah." She smiled.

"Good." He leaned down and claimed her mouth hungrily.

~C~D~

Carol woke up the next morning warm and very comfortable. Blinking at the sun that peeked through the tent flap, she buried her face in Daryl's neck and pulled his naked body closer to her.

He mumbled something in his sleep, then turned on his side and pulled her closer to his chest. She giggled when her nose smashed against the space between his pecs and pulled back slightly.

"I'm tryin' to sleep." He cracked open one of his eyes to look at her. "What ya laughin' at woman?" He grumbled, clearly not ready to get up and face the day.

"Nothing." She leaned up and kissed him on the scruff of his chin. "So, are you going to go hunting soon?"

"Nope. That deer and those rabbits I snagged yesterday should be 'nough to last all of us awhile." He was awake now.

"Hm, so why the overnight trip?" She asked, curious.

"One day for hunting." He pushed her gently on her back and crawled on top of her. "And the other to have you over and over again."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a chilly night and Daryl is drunk. He decides to take Carol to her grave and there he confesses some surprising things. I apologize if Daryl is OOC.

Daryl clutched the bottle of mostly gone Southern Comfort and half-walked, half-stumbled to Carol's cell. Knowing her, she was probably still awake and staring at the bottom of the bunk above her.

They had all been celebrating. It was Judith's first birthday. Glenn and Maggie had gone on a run and had come back with a case of the alcohol and Daryl had hoarded a whole bottle to himself; he had nursed it all night.

To his knowledge, Carol hadn't drunk anything. Instead she had sat by him, close enough that their shoulders touched, and enjoyed the evening together. Occasionally she would throw out something funny or adorable that baby Judith had done in the year she had been alive, but other than that, she was silent. He knew she was thinking about her own daughter. Beautiful, blue-eyed Sophia

Daryl knew they had been tiptoeing around each other the past year and a half and he knew that Carol wanted more, but she was waiting for him to make the first move, so to not frighten him off.

Too bad he was to chicken shit to make a move...while he was sober.

Tripping over his own feet, he stumbled into her doorway and almost dropped the bottle in his hand.

"Daryl?" Carol turned from her back to face him. "Are you okay?" She propped herself on an elbow and looked at him with mix of curiosity and concern.

"I k-knew ya was awake." His words were slurred, but he didn't care as he neared her. "I wanted to show ya somethin'."

"Okay." She seemed uncertain, but climbed out of bed anyway.

Daryl had to look quickly away, afraid that in his drunken haze, he would stare too long and embarrass them both. Carol only wore a flimsy tank top and a pair sleeper shorts. Her feet were bare.

"Are ya gonna put some shoes on?"

"Oh." She started and looked around for her boots. Finding them under her bed, she slipped them on and was ready to go.

Daryl had set the bottle of liquor by her doorway and grabbed her hand. Eager, in his drunken state, to lead her to his destination.  
\-----------------------------------------------  
The feel of his calloused in hers was enough to excuse him from waking her up. In the two years they had known each other, they had only held hands once before.

The day after Merle had been killed.

Even then, their point of contact had been brief. Way too short for her liking. However, he had been grieving and all she had wanted to do was reassure him that she was there. No matter what.

Since then, they had touched plenty of times; a brush of hands, a hand on her shoulder, a hand on his chest. There even had been one time where she thought he was going to kiss her. It hadn't happened, of course, and he had high-tailed it out of there. Embarrassed.

Daryl was soon leading her outside. The chill hit her immediately and she shivered. He most have noticed and stopped. Looking her over, he must have noticed, again, at what little she was wearing. If she had known he was going to take her outside then she would have thrown something else on.

Shrugging off his leather jacket, he hands it to her. Only stumbling slightly as he takes a step closer.

"Are you sure?" She held the jacket in her hand. He was only wearing one of his sleeveless shirts underneath and the night was chilly.

"Yeah. I was gettin' hot anyway." That was most likely due to the alcohol running through his veins.

She put the jacket on and instantly began to get warmer. The jacket still held the body heat from its previous owner. Inhaling the collar, she hid a smile. It smelled like him.

"Come on." He urged, reaching for her hand again. She let him take it.

The moon was the only light that guided them, but Daryl was sure footed, despite all the alcohol they had consumed. She looked up at the watchtower, knowing no one was up there. It had been several months since the Governor threat was eliminated and they were all glad they could breathe a little easier.

There were still dangers though and they still kept watch, but in celebration of his daughter's birthday Rick had given everyone a night off. Things would return to normal the next day.

The moment her feet hit grass, she knew where he was taking her.

Lori and T-Dog's graves. Don't forget one of the graves was supposed to be yours. She told herself.

He stopped at the foot of 'her' empty grave and looked back at her. The grip on her hand tightened.

"This was supposed to be yours." He whispered.

"I know." She whispered back, her eyes wondering over the wooden cross and the little pebbles that spelled out the first letter of her name.

He sank to his knees and because of the grip on her hand, she followed suit. They kneeled so close together that their shoulders brushed.

"Ya know, when ya went missin' I couldn't believe it." He looked over at her, blue eyes glittering in the moonlight. "One minute ya was there and the next ya were gone. All that was left of ya was yer scarf."

Pulling something out of his pocket, he held it up in the moonlight.

She gasped. It was her scarf! All this time he had kept it in his pocket.

"Glenn suggested I bury it with ya. So, that yer grave would have at least somethin' in it. I told him to fuck off."

She couldn't help but giggle. Of course, she had expected nothing less from him. He looked over at her and smiled.

Then that smile disappeared.

"Ya know, when we buried yer little girl." He took a deep breath. "When we buried Sophia, that was the first time my-my chest hurt. Like someone was squeezin' my heart ir somethin'."

Turning her head, she stared at him. He wasn't looking at her; instead, his gaze was on the cross in front of her grave.

"Even before the world went to shit, I knew people could be there one minute and gone the next. And when the dead started risin' that became truer." His fingers began to dig in the dirt beside him. "But when yer little girl stumbled out of that barn and-and we had to bury her in that tiny grave. My-I- Carol, I hurt." He looked at her then.

"I hurt, too, Daryl." She sniffed, thinking of her baby girl.

"When Dale died, it didn't hurt as much." The alcohol was clearly loosening his lips. She had never seen him so open. She didn't mind at all.

"He was a good friend. He told me tha' I was a good man, even when I didn't believe it at the time." His hand reached for hers again. "People died. 'Specially now. But when ya was lost in the tombs and we all thought ya dead, it wasn't jus' my chest tha' hurt, but my whole fuckin' body."

"Daryl-"

"Let me finish." He silenced her. "I already feel like a pussy cause I hafta be wasted to tell ya all this." He threw her a small smile.

"Okay, Daryl." She smiled back. "Finish."

"When I found yer scarf, everythin' hit me. I thought I was never gonna see ya again. Then when I found yer knife my worst fears were confirmed. Ya had fought yer way through the tombs and died fightin' them things and now ya was one of them." His grip tightened. "I was prepared to take ya out, but then I found ya. Alive. Everythin' instantly got better."

She squeezed his hand. "I knew you would find me."

"I almost didn't." He lowered his voice, almost to the point where she couldn't hear.

"But you did." She turned her body to fully face him. "I'm here because of you. You have saved me so many times."

His hand reached for her face and cupped it, his thumb brushing gently along her cheek. "And I will keep savin' ya if I have to. I can't lose ya again, Carol. Once was bad 'nough."

Tears sprang to her eyes. "Daryl-" Her tears clogged her throat.

"Carol, I love ya."

"What?" She never thought he would confess something like that to her.

"Are ya deaf?" He smirked. "I said, I fuckin' love ya." Then he pulled her face towards his and crushed her mouth with his.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------  
It had been years since he had properly kissed a woman, but he knew he could spend years kissing this one. He planned on kissing her for years to come. Her ass wasn't gonna die on him. Not if he could help it.

"Daryl." She panted underneath him. Their positions had changed greatly since he had first kissed her. She now laid in the grass by the graves and he covered her body with his. They were still fully clothed, something he hoped to change soon.

"Daryl." She started again, trying to catch her breath." We can't do this here. It wouldn't be right."

Looking back, he saw the graves. She was right of course. No matter how disappointed he was to climb off her, they very well couldn't make love by the graves of their fallen friends.

Helping her to her feet, he was surprised when she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him long and hard. She pulled back with a smile.

"The watchtower is empty."

With that, he grabbed her hand and took off towards the tower while she giggled behind him.

God, he loved this woman.


	4. Chapter 4

Part 1/2

He didn't say anything as he rolled off her. He remained silent as he put on his clothes, hastily tugging them on his slightly sweaty body. He didn't even look at her as he headed towards the doorway, slinging his crossbow on his back.

Turning in the door, he mumbled a quick, "Thanks." and was gone.

Carol leaned over the side of the bed, searching for her own clothes as she tried to hold back tears. She didn't know how long she had longed to be with Daryl in that way and now that it finally happened, she was disappointed.

He hadn't declared any feelings for her, only came looking for a soft body. The death of Merle had hit him hard, she knew, and without him saying so, she also knew that he had just needed to feel something. Anything. So, he had come to her in the middle of the night.

Carol knew, almost immediately, what he wanted. Standing in her doorway, biting on his thumbnail, he looked nervous and kept glancing at her. It was dark in her cell and he probably couldn't tell if she was awake.

"Daryl," she called out softly, hoping not to startle him. "Did you need something?"

He nodded and within seconds he was in her bunk, on top of her, and kissing her fiercely. She tried desperately to keep up with his kisses and was shocked at how forward he was being. When he started pulling at her clothes, first slipping her shirt over her head and throwing it over his shoulder, she what was going on. Things were moving too fast and he hadn't said a word.

Daryl hadn't come to declare his feelings for her. He had come because he needed her, needed her body. He needed to feel something besides the pain he was feeling over his brother's death. She understood. God, she understood too well. If only she had had the guts to seek him out after Sophia stumbled out of that barn.

But was that really what she had wanted their relationship to be like? To only go to each other for comfort sex and nothing else?

No. It would have broken her heart eventually if they had been like that and it was breaking her heart now knowing he had only come to her so he could forget. If only for a few moments.  
\-----------------------------  
The next morning, Daryl was nowhere in sight. Rick must have seen her searching the cellblock with her eyes, because he informed her that he had gone out hunting earlier that morning.

Had he even gotten any sleep? Since the arrival of the Woodbury citizens, Daryl had been going non-stop. Hunting had become an everyday thing. They always needed more food, since there were more mouths to feed. Carol feared he was going to run himself ragged and let his guard down. She didn't know what she would do if something happened to him.  
\----------------------------  
After making breakfast, she headed out to the yard where she watched the tree line intensely. She would stay out there until Daryl came back. Even if it grew dark and chilly, she would stay there until he safe inside the prison walls.

A few hours later, Carol found herself laying in the grass and dozing off, when she heard someone shout. Bolting up, she looked over at the gate and saw Daryl there, a huge buck behind him, waiting for Carl to unlock the gate.

Rick was there too and Carol ran up to join him. She gasped when she saw that Daryl was covered in blood. Not the red blood of a deer, but the black, rotting blood of the undead.

His gaze never left hers as he dragged the huge deer to Rick and without even speaking to their leader; Daryl made his way towards her. His steps long and determined.

"Come with me." He growled, taking her by the arm, leading her to the watchtower.

She wondered why he was taking her there and was going to ask, but the moment they stepped inside the tower and out of the way of prying eyes, he crushed his lips to hers. His hands were shaking as he buried them in her hair and his kisses were just as aggressive as they had been the night before. So caught up in trying to meet him kiss for kiss, she didn't even register when his hands left her hair and made it to the button of her pants. With a flick of his wrist and the pull of the zipper, he was pulling them down her legs and went to his own zipper.

Daryl took her on the wall of the tower and she didn't care... at the moment.

When the deed was done, they both pulled up their pants and leaned on the wall, panting. Carol looked over at Daryl and noticed his hands were no longer trembling.

Eyeing the dried blood on his clothes, she asked. "What happened out there?"

Pushing off the wall, he didn't look at her and mumbled. "Nothin'." He tried to walk past her to the door, but she grabbed his arm.

"No." She barked. "You don't get to do this, Daryl. You don't get to be with me like that and just walk away without talking to me. Something obviously happened out there. You're covered in walker blood and I want to know why."

With a defeated sigh, Daryl took a seat on one of the concrete stairs. "I ran into a couple of them fuckers."

Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked down at him. "Define a couple."

He looked up at her and then looked away. "About a dozen."

She tried to hide the gasp behind her hand. A dozen walkers? He could have easily been taken down with that many. He could have been killed out there.

No.

She couldn't start thinking like that. Blinking back tears, she waited for him to continue. There was no way he was leaving that tower until he gave her the details.

"I was bein' an idiot. Was trackin' a deer, not payin' attention to my surroundings and I stumbled on to the bastards." He explained. "The deer high-tailed it out of there, but I stood there like I was fuckin' paralyzed." He shook his head. "I don't know what the fuck was wrong with me. Then one of them lunged at me and grabbed hold of my arm. I killed it, but while I was takin' care of that one another snuck up behind me. Nearly took out a chunk of my shoulder."

She gasped again.

"It wasn't easy." He stood up. "But I fuckin' killed all of them."

"Thank God, for that." She breathed, still fighting back tears.

"God ain't got nothin' to do with it." He pushed past her. "Gonna go and help Rick with that deer." And then he was gone.

Once again, there had been no declaration of feelings. Instead it had been another quick fuck and he was gone minutes later. This time he hadn't fucked her to forget the pain. This time he had done it because of the adrenaline pumping in his veins.

Once again, she couldn't help but feel like she had been used.  
\-----------------------------  
It had been weeks since their tryst in the watchtower and Carol missed feeling his hands on her body, his lips on hers, the way he felt on top of her...

She needed a cold shower or, looking over at Daryl sitting at one of the tables cleaning his bow, another good lay.

The past week had been hell, well as much as it could be in the apocalypse. Judith had woken up every night screaming and she had been the one to get up and calm her. Beth needed a break. The cooking was wearing her thin, since there were so many more mouths to feed. The Woodbury residents were trying her patience, complaining about every little thing and just the other day she had seen Karen eyeballing Daryl.

Carl ignored her most of the time when she asked for help or when she tried to talk to him, always off in his own world. She worried for the boy and Rick was too busy doing other things to notice what was going on with his son.

She needed a release from all this stress and she knew exactly how she was going to get it.  
\----------------------------------  
That night she snuck into Daryl's cell, much like he did those few weeks ago. She knew he was awake; he had just come in from watch.

"Carol?" He asked. "There somethin' ya want?" His words even mirrored her own.

"Yeah." She answered and then she was there crawling on top of him and smashing her lips to his.

He pulled back, surprised. "What are ya doin'?"

She started unbuttoning his shirt. "What does it look like?"

"I see." And he let her take his shirt off, shedding hers right after, then grabbed the back of her neck and brought her head down to kiss her.

After they finished, she put on her clothes, thanked him and left.

Lying in bed, she realized that she had never declared her feelings for him. She had acted on her need and had used him.

Was this how it was going to be between them from now on?

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Part 2/2

The next morning she woke up, alone. No redneck nestled close to her. Not like she had expected him to be there, but the dream she had last night had been so vivid. So real. In her dream, after she had left his cell, he had followed her back to hers. Kissed her and climbed under the covers to sleep with her.

Burying her face in her pillow, all she wanted to was cry. That was never going to be them. Especially not with the path, they had chosen to take together. They were only sleeping with each other because they needed to and not because they wanted to.

"Carol?" Beth's soft voice floated to her from the doorway. In her arms, she cradled a fussing Judith. "Carol? Are you awake?"

Carol turned her face to the doorway and flashed Beth a smile before sitting up. "Yes, honey, I am. Is there something you need?" She kept the blankets over her naked legs, she only wore a long nightshirt to bed and the morning air was chilly.

Beth stepped into her cell, some of the hair that escaped her ponytail frizzed around her face and she looked tired. "Judith's been up most of the might, fussing. Do you think-"

Carol reached out her arms to her, motioning for the young girl to pass the baby over. "Of course, sweetie. Not why don't you get yourself some sleep."

The blonde shook her head. "I have to go and fix breakfast, since you did it yesterday. Daddy just got up and I bet he's mighty hungry."

Carol stood up and reached for the girl with her free hand, stopping her in her tracks. "Have your sister fix breakfast this once. You need some sleep."

"Okay." Beth gave her a small, exhausted smile. "Thank you." Giving the older woman a quick side hug, mindful of Judith in her arms, she hurried out of the cell and to her own.

Carol watched the girl scurry off with an affectionate grin. Beth had come a long way in the eight months they had all been on the run together. Gone were the crying fits and bouts of silent depression. Now she was becoming a strong woman, still reluctant to hold a gun and fight, but she took care of the group in so many other ways. Her duty was mostly with the baby, but she also helped Carol with breakfast and laundry most days. Occasionally she would even join her sister on nightly watches.

Cooing softly to Judith, as she gently rocked her back and forth, she almost didn't hear someone in the doorway of her cell. She looked up, thinking it was Beth again, and was surprised to see Daryl there.

He didn't look at her; instead, his focus was on the baby. His feet shuffled nervously and he picked at his thumb with his fingers. "Uh, hey."

Tears sprung to her eyes. Things were going to be awkward with them once again and it was all her fault. Why had she gone to him last night? She knew why. He had used her. Twice. Then she had needed him, so she had used him.

"Do you want to hold her?" She asked. She wanted to know why he was there, but didn't want to ask. He could tell her what he wanted...or not.

He nodded, chewing on his bottom lip and still not making eye contact with her. He reached for Judith and cradled her gently in his arms. Carol wanted to stay and watch as the rough hunter rocked the precious bundle, but she needed to get out of there. Now.

"I'm going to go help Maggie with breakfast." Without another word, she brushed past him and left him standing there in her cell.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Daryl watched Carol leave the cell. That was the last thing he had wanted her to do. He had wanted to talk to her. They needed to talk about this thing they were doing, but when he stopped in her doorway and saw her cradling Judith in only a nightshirt that stopped mid-thigh, his mouth had gone dry and he remembered last night. Remembered that she had been on top of him and... He just couldn't say another word to her besides 'hey'.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Maggie smiled at her from the small makeshift stove and thoughts of Daryl went to the back of her mind as she helped make enough breakfast for their small group and the Woodbury citizens.

Slowly people trickled in to the commons room and were handed their bowls of gloppy oatmeal. Many of the older men and women made faces as they were handed them, Carol had to bite back from snapping at them. What were they doing to help the group anyway?

One particular old woman decided she would voice her complaint, instead of just making a face and Carol nearly lost it, but at that moment, Daryl walked through the door, sans Judith, and their eyes locked.

"Here." Maggie handed her two bowls, one for her and the other obviously for Daryl. "Why don't you go and eat, I'll handle these ungrateful old farts." Her glare aimed at the complaining old woman, who scuttled away.

"Thanks." Carol mumbled, not really wanting to go over by Daryl but she figured he was hungry and she had his food in her hand.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------  
Daryl picked a seat far away from everyone, like he always did and watched as Carol approached him. Maybe this time he would grow a pair and talk to her.

"Here you go." She smiled weakly as she slid his bowl over the table to him and then turned to leave.

"Hey!" He winced as he used the same word as before. "Aren't ya gonna sit with me and eat? Ya need to get off your feet."

She hesitated a moment before she took a seat. "I've hardly been on my feet today, Daryl." She kept her gaze focused down on her oatmeal.

"Somethin' tells me that those old timers are gonna have ya runnin' around the prison, like usual." He took a bite of his breakfast and kept his gaze on her, willing her to look at him.

She groaned. "I'm getting real sick of them, actually. It's about time they start doing stuff around here. Tyreese, Sasha and Karen are the only ones who are." She met his eyes briefly. "I should just take a break and let them fend for themselves."

"Why don't ya jus' take the day off?"

She shrugged. "I couldn't just sit around and do nothing, Daryl. I have to pull my weight around here."

"Hell, woman you pull more than your weight and then some, 'round here." He got an idea, suddenly. "Why don't ya come huntin' with me?"

Carol's head shot up and he held back a smirk. She knew he never asked anyone to go out with him for obvious reasons. They would be too loud, they would slow him down and he always worked better alone.

"Um, okay." She finally spoke and agreed. "Just as long as you don't yell at me if I scare any of the game away." She gave him a small smile.

"Naw, I won't." He stood up, holding his now-empty bowl and looked down at her. "We can leave in a half hour if you're ready."

She nodded and watched him walk away, and then she started shoveling food into her mouth and raced to her cell to change into more practical clothes.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------  
An hour later saw Carol and Daryl quietly walking through the woods surrounding the prison. Carol stuck close to Daryl, making sure to stay slightly behind him and silent. So far, he had bagged a couple rabbits and a few squirrels. Now, his next goal was a deer.

But his mind didn't seem to be on the hunt at the moment.

"Carol, we, uh, we need to talk." He threw over his shoulder, making sure to stay alert and conscious of their surroundings. He wasn't going to let what happened to him a few days ago happen to him again. Especially since Carol was with him.

"Okay." She replied, her voice coming from his left.

Daryl stopped and turned around to face her, suddenly feeling very unsure of himself. What the hell was he doing? He wanted to tell her he cared about her and those few times he had been with her meant more to him than just a quick fuck, but he didn't know where to begin.

A small smile graced her lips but her eyes were questioning when they roamed his form. She could clearly see his discomfort and that made him fidget even more.

"What's wrong?" She finally spoke the question she had been dying to ask since he had turned to look at her.

"Ain't nothing wrong." He mumbled and watched as he kicked at a clod of dirt by his foot. "I jus' want to talk to ya and figured this would be the best place to do it."

Better than behind the prison walls? Better than safety? But it was Daryl and she knew why he thought the woods would be the perfect place to talk. The woods made him feel uncomfortable and there wasn't any people just walking around, interrupting them.

"I jus' wanted to talk to ya about the past couple days." He braved a look at her. "More specifically the day, or night, after Merle died."

Oh. So, that was what he wanted to talk about? Was he going to apologize to her and tell her that he had just needed a warm body and nothing more? Was he going to tell her that he found someone else? Someone that was younger and prettier than her.

All these uncertainties raced through her mind and she couldn't stop the tears that filled her eyes. One slipped down her cheek before she could catch it and wipe it away without Daryl noticing.

Of course, he had seen it and froze. A look of confusion washed across his face and she had to turn from him, so he wouldn't see any more tears.

"Carol?" He asked and stepped around her body so she stood in front of him. "Why ya cryin'? I haven't even said anythin' to hurt ya, have I?"

She shook her head fiercely, hoping that he knew that he hadn't said anything for her to be upset over. It was all her fault, actually, for even thinking that there could be more between them.

"Just say what you wanted to say, Daryl, I'll be fine." She wiped away the rest of her tears and gave him a watery smile.

He didn't look convinced and he narrowed his eyes at her, hoping to read her more. But he came up with nothing and he had no choice but to continue.

"I jus'." He paused, took a breath and continued. "I jus' wanted to let ya know that those times didn't mean nothin'." He winced. "I mean, they did mean somethin'."

"What?" What 'times' was he talking about?

"When we, uh, when we...y'know."

"Had sex?" She offered.

He nodded. "I know ya think they was just a quick fuck, but to me they wasn't. At the time, I wasn't thinkin' about anythin' long term...but I want ya to know that I always wanted to be like that with ya."

"Really?" She forced a smile back, not wanting to look too hopeful.

"Yeah." He gave her a quick nod.

She had a confession of her own to make. She had used him, just like he had used her and she could tell by the look he was giving her, he was waiting for her to say something back. To reassure him, that she didn't hate him.

She knew she could never hate him.

"The other night when I...came to your cell, I was so stressed out and I just wanted a release. At the time, I didn't think about what I was doing. I was using you, Daryl." She bit her lip and looked away from him. "But I want you to know, is that I've always wanted to be with you, too."

"Yeah?" He asked.

She nodded. "So, can we start over or something? You know, have sex because both of us want to have it and not because there is something emotional wrong with us at the moment?"

"Okay." He smirked at her and there was a mischievous glint in his eye. "Wanna start right now?"

Her heart fluttered and before she could say yes, he crushed his lips to hers.

An hour later, they made there way back to the prison and no asked why there were leaves and twigs in both of their hair.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one shot is no where near the 'M' rating and I think it is one of my favorites so far. Probably because Merle is in this one. I do love him! :)
> 
> Summary: Merle tries to play matchmaker.

Finally.

After a year and a half of dancing around each other, he had made the first move. Carol thought she was going to go crazy if he hadn't done anything soon. She supposed she could have made the first move herself, but where was the fun in that?

Daryl was a grown man. If he wanted her, then he could let her know, and if he didn't... Well, then they'd just remain friends.

The thought pained her.

She had been in love with him for so long, probably since that day he had stumbled back to camp an arrow wound in his side and bullet graze on his head. He had risked his life to look for her little girl and she would forever be grateful for him.

God had taken away her precious Sophia, but He had given her Daryl Dixon.

The only thing, though, that she hadn't been prepared for was Merle Dixon. God had given her Daryl, but with him came his older brother. It seemed they were a package deal.

Since both Dixons had returned to the prison after the Governor's first attack, Merle had become one of them. Well, as much as he could with Glenn constantly on his ass. It had taken the older Dixon finally killing the Governor for the Asian to look at him with something other than hatred.

After that, life at the prison became considerably better, as much as it could in the middle of the apocalypse. Andrea, with the help of Milton and Tyreese, took control of Woodbury and were on friendly terms with the Prison group. Rick, with Carl and Daryl at his side, helped maintain life at the prison.

It came as a shock when Merle decided to stay with them. They all thought he would go back to the place where he had been accepted. Everyone knew it was because Daryl had declared that the prison group was his family, too, and wherever they were so would he.

Carol had been washing the dishes after their evening meal; she had waved off Beth's offer of help and sunk her hands in the warm water. The water warmed her slightly chilled body. Fall was becoming and the weather was getting considerably cooler.

"You know my brother has his eye on you." The raspy voice of the older Dixon broke through the silence and her thoughts. Startled, she swing around to face him and accidentally sprayed him with the water on her hands.

He chuckled at her wide eyes and fast breathing.

"Merle Dixon." She controlled her breathing and fixed him with a glare. "You can't be sneaking up on me like that. It's bad enough Daryl does it all the time!"

"That's my brother for ya." Merle leaned against the doorway, his massive arms crossed in front of his chest. "He had to learn real young to move around silently."

Carol didn't have to ask why. Daryl hadn't talked to her much about his life before the world ended, but she had seen the evidence of a horrible childhood on his back. She also understood the need to move around silently.

"Y'know, that boy is clearly in love wit' ya."

"Who? Carl?" She smirked. "Don't you think he's a little too young for me, Merle? It's the end of the world, but wouldn't that be taking the whole cougar thing to a new level?" Turning her back on him, she went back to her dishes.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about, woman." He growled and she heard him take a step closer to her.

She did, but she didn't want to discuss his little brother with him. Especially when it looked like they were going to go nowhere in their relationship. Friends was what they were and friends was what they were going to say.

"Are you going to help with dishes, Merle, or are you going to stand there and watch me?" She hoped changing the subject and asking him to help, would get him to leave. It didn't.

Suddenly, Merle was standing there, snatching her submerged wrists out of the water and holding them in his big hands. She wasn't scared of him, not even then, when he could easily smash the bones in her wrists if he wanted too.

"You two are the most stubbornest people I have ever seen," he said. "Daryl won't fuckin' admit he has feelin' for you and you won't even acknowledge the fact that he clearly does!" He let go of her hands and remained standing in front of her. He wasn't done talking though.

"This is the end of the world, for fuck's sake! You two should have hopped in bed together ages ago!"

Carol gasped. Images of Daryl in her bed were saved for when she was having trouble sleeping...or when she was in the shower.

"Look, my bro ain't got much experience wit' women. In fact, I ain't never seen him with one until now. That boy watches over you like a hawk, constantly askin' where you are if you ain't in the same room."

"He's just looking out for the group." Carol whispered, looking down. She knew that argument was getting old and no longer held any weight.

"Bullshit!" He snapped. "I have half a mind to go and drag his ass in here, so you two can finally admit these feelin's." He paused for a moment. "Y'know, I think that's what I'm goin' to do." He turned to leave, but Carol grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him.

"Merle, please. Don't." The last thing she wanted Merle to do was to force Daryl to talk to her about feelings. That would surely scare him off. She had worked so hard for him to trust her and she didn't want all that work to go to waste. He'd talk to her, eventually, about how he felt if in fact he felt anything for her and if he didn't, things would just remain the same. She'd be fine with that.

Liar. Her mind screamed at her, but she ignored it and focused back on Merle. "I-I'll go and talk to him."

Merle looked like he didn't believe her. His blue eyes narrowed and he searched his face. "Daryl deserves to be happy, wit' the shitty life he had and all. Bein' wit' you would make him happy and from what I saw back at the quarry you deserve to be happy too." With that he left the room.  
\------------------------------------------------------------

Carol had a lot on her mind when she returned to the dishes. The water was now lukewarm and was doing nothing for the chill that went through her body.

"Thank fuck, he's gone." Someone said behind her.

And for the second time that day, she nearly had a heart attack because of a Dixon.

"Dammit, Daryl Dixon!" She cried, whirling on him. "You and your brother both are set to kill me, aren't you?"

Daryl smirked at her. " 'm sorry." But she could tell that he didn't mean it.

She glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest in anger. "Is there something you want or can I finally finish these dishes in peace?"

"Naw, I don't think so." He drawled. "I've been standin' outside that door, waitin' for my brother to leave ya ass alone and now it's my turn to bother ya."

"You were just outside?" Oh God, she was horrified. "Did you hear-?"

"Everythin' ya guys said? Yep."

And he wasn't running away? Lord, he must be here to set her straight. To tell her he wasn't interested and to tell her that she should tell Merle to stop trying to get them together.

Carol straightened her back, she was strong. She could take his rejection.

Oh what was she thinking? This was going to break her. She was a fool to think that Daryl would feel anything more than friendship for her. She wasn't young, she wasn't pretty and she wasn't strong. Not the kind of strong Daryl needed.

"Is there something you want to tell me then?" She asked and rapidly blinked back tears.

His eyes narrowed when they searched her face. "Why ya cryin', woman? Did Merle say somethin' to upset ya? I can go kick his ass if ya want."

She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "I thought you heard everything we said. If you did, then you would know that he didn't say anything to upset me at all."

"Well, okay, I came in at the tail end of yer conversation, I guess."

"Oh." She tried remembering what the last few minutes of her and Merle's discussion had been about and winced.

"I came in here for a reason, Carol." He took a few steps closer and didn't stop until he was right in front of her. Only inches of space between them.

"Y-You did?" She tried to control her breathing and felt her heart rate increase. It wasn't often that Daryl would be this close to her. In fact, he made it a point not to get in her space at all.

"Yeah." He replied, his voice huskier than normal.

Did his eyes just flick to her lips? No, it had to be her eyes playing tricks on him. Why would Daryl Dixon look at her lips as if he wanted to kiss her?

"What did you want to say?" She took a step back, the closeness of his body almost becoming overwhelming and her back hit the edge of the sink.

Trapped.

His eyes flicked to something over her shoulder and then down to the ground. "Now, I ain't good at this." He grumbled. "This is more Merle's area."

"W-What's more Merle's are?" She couldn't help but ask.

This time he looked her in the eye, his eyes reading something she couldn't, or more rather didn't want to identify for fear of getting her hopes up. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand at her waist and he pulled her closer.

Her breasts were pressed against his chest and he looked down at her, his breath lightly ghosting over her face. It took all of her willpower to stop a shiver from coursing through her body.

"This." He whispered. When had his lips gotten so close to hers?

There was no time to think about, because suddenly they were on hers. Softly at first, he was waiting for her to respond. She was shocked though, unsure if this was really happening or if it was a dream. Would she wake up in her cell if she kissed him back?

Daryl stepped back when he found her to be unresponsive. His features darkened. " 'm sorry." Then he turned to retreat.

"No!" She cried and lunged to grab his arm. She couldn't let him leave. Things between them would never change if she did. "I'm sorry." She said. "I was just...surprised that you kissed me. I didn't think you liked me in that way."

"Fuck, Carol. You're the only woman I can stand to be around for long periods of time."

"So, that's the only reason you kissed me, then?" She smirked.

"N-no, there's more to it than that." He looked around nervously, his thumb coming up to his mouth so he could gnaw on the skin beside his nail.

"I was just teasing you, Daryl." She tugged him closer and they stood like they had before. "Now, kiss me again."

This time Daryl smiled, actually smiled, and Carol told herself that she could get use to it. She hoped that she would be the receiving end of that smile all the time.

"Alright." Then he crushed his lips on hers. There was nothing soft about this kiss, but she didn't mind at all. She wound her arms around his neck and threw her whole self into the kiss.

Suddenly the door burst open. "Carol, I ain't sneaking up on ya, but have ya seen my baby bro-" Merle spotted them and the rest of the sentence died on his lips.

Daryl looked annoyed at the interruption and he turned on his brother. "Jesus Christ, Merle, I'm right here! What do ya want?"

Merle crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame. "This." He smiled and looked at the two. "About fuckin' time you two got together."

Carol looked over at the older Dixon and gave him a genuine smile. God hadn't just given her Daryl Dixon, but Merle Dixon as well.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is for the people who are reading my story Snake. This is an alternate scene from my last chapter. Instead of Daryl and Carol making up at Andrea's party, Carol comes over and visits Daryl in the shower. This is way too racy for that story right now, especially because Carol and Daryl aren't ready to see each other naked yet. But this idea popped into my head as I wrote about Daryl taking a shower.
> 
> If there is anyone reading this that hasn't read Snake, then you can still read and understand it. All you need to know is that Carol goes into the bathroom to apologize to Daryl for something.

The warm water felt nice as it cascaded down his shoulders and back. The tension slowly left his body and he relaxed under the spray. He was going to apologize to Carol; they would be happy and together. He would never be so stupid, as to yell at her like that again.

He had just started to lather his hair with shampoo for the second time and was about to rinse the shampoo out, when he heard the bathroom door open and shut.

"Jesus Christ, Merle," he growled. "Haven't we talked enough today?"

"It's me."

The voice caused him to freeze. What was she doing here? And in his bathroom, no less?

"Carol?" He peeked his head around the shower curtain and sure enough saw that it was her.

"Hi." She gave him a sheepish smile and a wave. "I dropped Maggie off and Merle told me you were in here." She looked down at her hands as she wrung them. "I wanted to talk to you, if that's okay?"

"Alright." He said slowly. "But I'm kinda in the shower."

"Oh, I know." Her eyes shifted nervously. "It won't take long."

"I have to talk to ya, too." Some shampoo slid into his eyes and it stung. "Fuck!" He cried then quickly put his head under the spray. "I'll be out in a second, okay?"

She didn't answer. Had she left?

Suddenly, he felt cool air hit his back, almost like someone was opening the curtain... He turned around quickly when he saw Carol's naked leg stepping into the tub with him and the rest of her naked body followed.

He turned the fuck back around. What the hell was she doing?

"Is this alright?" She asked softly.

He looked over his shoulder, to see that she wasn't completely naked. She still had on a pair of pink panties, but that was it. Her arms were crossed in front of her, so her breasts were covered. She, also, wasn't looking at him. Instead, her gaze was fixed on the shower curtain and she gnawed on her bottom lip.

No, it was  _not_ alright! They weren't supposed to be naked in the shower. Not yet, anyway. He looked down and groaned.

Would Carol notice if the water suddenly got cold? He looked over at her again and noticed that she was already shivering slightly.

What the hell was he supposed to do? He couldn't pull her into the water that would mean her body, her  _naked_  body, would be pressed against his.

Definitely needed that cold shower now...

"Daryl, I can get out, if you want me too." He heard her opening the curtain again. "I probably shouldn't have come in the first place. I don't know what I was thinking."

"No!" He cried and quickly turned around. She was looking at him, wide eyed and still with one arm covering herself. It took him seconds to realize that he  _was_ completely naked and he turned back around, his face growing hot.

Huh. He didn't think he had enough blood up there to cause him to blush...

"So, this is alright?" She asked again and this time placed a hand on his shoulder. She was getting closer.

"Y-Yeah." He sneakily turned the hot water slightly down. Hopefully, she wouldn't notice the difference in temperature.

"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry." Her hand was slowly started to slip from his shoulder, down his back and around to his stomach. "I shouldn't have kept my going away a secret from you." She must have felt his abdominal muscles tense. "Are you alright?"

He nodded his head and tried to think of cold things, but just like last time, it didn't work out so well.

"Do you forgive me?" Her voice was right next to his ear and she could almost feel her pressed against his back.

"Yeah," He croaked. "I-I'm sorry, too. For overreactin'."

"It's okay." He heard the smile in her voice. "So, are we good now?"

He nodded again.

Suddenly her other arm snuck around his waist and she pulled him close. All of her was pressed up against his back and he didn't think a cold shower could save him now.

"Good." He could even feel her lips turn up when she said it.

Her body against his felt so good. What would it feel like if their chests were pressed together and he could actually see her?

Just then, her hands moved back to his shoulders and she was making him...turn around? Jesus, this was going to be embarrassing.

"I want you to kiss me." Her eyes were only on his face when he was completely facing her. Her hair was plastered to her face and water cascaded down her shoulders, past her collarbone and... His eyes shot right back up to her face.

"It's alright." She laughed. "You can look." She grabbed one of his hands, bit her lip, and looked nervous. "And you can touch."

The feel of her naked breast in his hand had him closing his eyes. This was so much better than feeling it over a bra.

"So, are you going to kiss me or what?" She smirked at him.

"'Course." He smirked back and then smashed his lips to hers.

Carol pulled him closer, his hand now stuck between their bodies and other parts of him were touching her. Parts that weren't ready to touch such soft skin just yet.

She slipped her tongue in his mouth and moaned. All thoughts of his lower half went out the window as they explored each other's mouths.

His detached his lips from hers and moved to her neck, where he licked and nipped until he reached her earlobe. He sucked it into his mouth and that earned him another moan.

Her hands began to trail downwards again, but he wasn't paying much attention to them, he was too busy trying to get her to make that noise again. He tensed when one of her hands brushed  _him._

"Sorry." She whispered in his ear.

"It's alright." He kissed her on the lips.

Then it happened again and this time it was more than just a brush.

"Carol," he pulled his head back. "What are ya doin'?"

She looked nervous. "I just...wanted to touch you. Is that...okay? Or are we moving a little fast?"

Moving too fast, would be him ripping off her panties and having her against the bathroom wall.

"No, i-it's fine." He gulped. He didn't want to say it out loud, but her hand on him felt  _so_ good.

"Okay." She gave him a small smile. Then, he felt her hand wrap around him and he only jumped slightly this time.

He groaned into her neck when her hand began to move. His hands moved slightly lower on her hips and stopped when he reached the tops of her panties. Would she want him to return the favor? He didn't know what to do, but he could always try. Right?

Just as his hand slipped under the waistband of her underwear, someone banged on the door. Loudly.

Both of them jumped apart and Daryl nearly slipped and fell on his ass.

"Hey!" It was Merle. "I know ya two are too busy makin' up and stuff, but I gotta take a piss!"

Carol looked over at him, cheeks flaming. "I guess, that means are shower is over, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess." He could barely look at her. "Why don't ya get out to get dressed. I, um, I need a few minutes."

"Oh, uh, yeah." She grabbed the curtain and opened it. "Of course."

This time he turned the hot water completely off and hissed when the icy water hit his skin.

"Ugh!" Carol growled. "My underwear are soaked."

"Take them off." He said back.

"Whoa now!" Merle said through the door. "I'm right here. Can ya save that kinda talk for the bedroom and when I ain't within earshot?"

"Shut-up, Merle!" Daryl yelled back, then shut off the water. His problem fixed...for now. When he stepped out of the shower, Carol was fully dressed and had her back to him.

He quickly got dressed, towel dried his hair and threw the towel back on the rack. Before he opened the door to the bathroom, he wrapped his arms around Carol and gave her one last kiss.

She smiled at him. "Maybe we should take showers together more often."

"I like that idea." He kissed her again.

Merle kicked the door. "Still out here!"

 


	8. Chapter 8

_One mississippi, two mississippi...another breath. One mississippi, two mississippi. Breath. One mississippi, two mississippi..._

He felt like a creep, lying in the top bunk and counting the seconds between  _her_ breathes. They were deep and even, which meant she was asleep. Had been for a while now. For days now, he laid awake well after she had fallen asleep. He was restless.

The counting helped, though. The counting helped him not think of other things. Like climbing out of his bunk and crawling into hers.

How would she react if he did? Would she welcome him with open arms or would she push him out to the concrete floor? Both of those actions scared him.

A lot of things about Carol scared him. Like the way her blue eyes would always find his in a crowded room, the way her smile softened whenever she saw him and the way she always found a reason to touch him. That scared him the most.

Carl had said something shitty to him one day and he was about to beat the boy's ass. A touch to the arm and her calm voice stopped him.

"Daryl, it's okay. He's going through a rough time right now."

He mumbled something back to her and quickly pulled out of her grasp. His arm hadn't stopped tingling until hours later.

A few days after that incident, he had gotten into it with another Woodbury man and wound up in his cell, cleaning his bow and sporting a split cheek.

She had waltzed in, a pan of water in one hand and a cloth in the other, and set to work on his face. He remembered her fingers had been cool and gentle as she cleaned the blood from his face.

"You need to try to get along with everyone, Daryl." She scolded softly. "They're going to be with us from now on and I don't want you to get hurt anymore."

Her blue eyes had tried to search him, tried to get some kind of reaction out of him, but he had just grunted and avoided her gaze.

The next day, the same man had been chatting up Carol while she stirred a stew for dinner. She looked very uncomfortable, but couldn't leave her spot by the stove. She was stuck. Daryl was sitting in the corner of the cafeteria and watched the exchange with narrowed eyes.

Why couldn't the man get a fuckin' hint? She obviously didn't want him anywhere near her.

He stood up from his spot and was about to tell the man to fuck off. The man was oblivious as he approached.

"Come on, honey." The man drawled. "I heard that the tower at the south gate is empty. Wanna join me up there later? I can show you a good time...if you know what I mean."

Carol didn't even spare him a glance and continued to stir the pot. "No thanks."

"Hm," The man leaned against the counter and smirked. "Looks like you're playing hard to get. I like a challenge."

Her grip on the wooden spoon tightened, but she didn't say anything. Daryl stayed back, thinking that the man would finally get the hint and leave.

The stupid bastard hadn't.

The man moved until he was almost pressed against Carol's side and was about to place a hand on her, but she whipped around fast. Daryl didn't even know she could move that fast.

"Don't touch me!" She screeched and slammed the wooden spoon, hard, on the slimy man's knuckles.

Even Daryl cringed at the sickening crunch. The woman had actually broken bone.

"You bitch!" The man howled and cradled his injured hand. Then, with wide eyes, Daryl watched as he began to raise his hand to strike her.

Oh, hell to the fuckin' no.

He was there in an instant. One hand grabbed the man's wrist before it could land on Carol and his other hand was clenched into a fist and hurtling toward the man's face.

Within in an instant, the man was sprawled on the floor. A broken nose added to his injuries.

"Ya alright?" Daryl turned to the shorthaired woman beside him.

"Yeah." She nodded, staring down at the groaning man on the ground, wooden spoon still clutched in her hand.

"Knew I had a reason to beat his ass yesterday." He smirked.

She looked up at him and smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling with the size of it. "You beat his ass? Who was the one sulking in his cell with a cut up cheek?"

"Shut up." He mumbled the smirk quickly wiped from his face.

She laughed the sound echoing through the cafeteria. "Well, anyways, thank you for defending me, Daryl, even though I could have handled him."

He snorted.

"I could have!" She protested and placed her hands on his hips. "I did just break his hand!"

"Yeah, I'll give ya that." He glanced at the spoon on her hand. "Remind me to never piss ya off when ya got that thing."

She smiled. "Alright." Then, lifting up on her tiptoes, she placed a small kiss on his unbruised cheek. "Thank you, again."

Daryl froze. Even when she turned her back to the pot, he hadn't moved. The last time she had kissed him on the cheek was back at the farm.

He had almost forgotten how much he'd liked it.

Finally, he had unglued himself and looked down at the still groaning man. Did he have any idea of how pathetic he looked?

"Do ya reckon I should take him to Hershel?" He spoke to Carol's back, only feeling slightly sorry for the guy.

"No, I'm sure he can find his way on his own." She threw a smile over her shoulder and then went right back to work.

He shrugged. "Alright. I'll see you later." He walked out the cafeteria, his cheek tingling from her kiss. It didn't stop tingling until way after everyone had gone to bed.

That had been days ago and she hadn't kissed or touched him since.

Daryl noticed that his mind had started to wonder to her,  _again,_  and he hastily went back to counting the seconds between breathes.

_One mississippi, two...breath. What? One mississippi, two..._

"Daryl?" He nearly fell out of his bunk at the sound of her voice. She was supposed to be asleep.

"Huh?" He hoped his voice didn't sound like he had been awake for hours.

"Everything okay?" Suddenly her face was right there.

"Jesus!" He cried and flung himself back against the wall, knocking his head painfully against the concrete. He hadn't heard her climb out of her bunk and stand on the ladder leading up to his.

"Sorry." She laughed softly.

"Ya ain't sorry." He rubbed at the sore spot and glared at her, even though she probably couldn't see it. "Ya did that on purpose, didn't ya?"

"Of course not." She giggled.

Daryl flopped onto his stomach and buried his face in the only pillow he had. "Why don't ya go back to sleep now?"

"I'm not tired."

"Well, I am." He lied.

"No, you're not." He could hear the smile in her voice. "You've been tossing and turning for hours. If you were sleepy you would have been asleep by now."

His head peeked up from the pillow. "Maybe I couldn't get comfortable, huh? Did ya think about that one?"

"Hmph. You not getting comfortable? You use to sleep on that perch of yours with a thin blanket to lie down on."

"I ain't use to the softness." He grumbled. He had no idea why he kept turning her down. Maybe it was because he was feeling guilty for listening to her sleep.

"Come on, Daryl." She whined. "Get up and do something with me. I'm bored."

She sounded like a little kid, begging her parents to take her to the park. So, with a sigh he sat up in his bed.

"What do ya want to do?"

"I don't know." He heard her climb down the stairs. "Beth and Maggie have Judith duty tonight, so I won't be needed anytime tonight."

"That's good." Daryl blindly searched for the ladder and when he found it, he climbed down.

"So," Carol stood in the middle of the cell, light from the barely peeked through the bars and shone on here. "What should we do?"

_Screw around._

The sudden thought caused him to stop in his tracks. Why had that thought cross his mind,  _now_? Especially since she was looking so beautiful in the moonlight and all he wanted to do was press her against the mattress and have his way with her.

"Maybe we can talk a walk outside? I could use the fresh air."

His mind was still reeling, but he managed to nod in agreement.

"Great!" She gave him a wide smile, and then reached for his hand. "Come on." He barely had time to register that his hand was on hers, before she began tugging him out of the cell they shared.

It was no easy feat to sneak through the cellblock quietly. Carol had nearly slipped down the three steps and would have, if her hand still wasn't in Daryl's.

She turned and gave him a grateful smile once her feet were safely back on concrete. That could have been disastrous and the last thing Daryl needed was for Rick or Glenn checking out what the racket had been.

He'd have to endure countless hours of teasing if they had caught him sneaking around with Carol. He could just hear their taunts now.

_"Finally decided to check out the guard towers with Carol, eh, Daryl?"_

_"_ _Maggie and_ _I have a few extra condoms,_ _Daryl,_ _if you need them."_

He'd have to punch the Korean in the face, if he ever decided to tease him like that. Maggie would be on his ass in a second if he touched his girlfriend, though. It'd be worth it.

"Daryl?" Her hand was gone from his grip and she was staring at him with wide eyes. The moonlight caused them to shine.

He had never seen anything so beautiful.

"Daryl?" She asked again.

He had to tear his gaze away from her beautiful eyes and answer. "Yeah?"

"You okay?" Her head tilted to the side as she studied him.

"Why ya keep askin' me that?" The words came out a little harsher than he intended and he cursed when he saw her jump. "Sorry." He mumbled.

"It's alright." She wrung her hands. "You don't have to come outside with me, Daryl, if you don't want to. You can go back to our cell if you're still tired."

Go back to their cell and leave her to go outside alone? Hell no. If she was going to go anywhere in the prison at night, he was sure as hell going to be right by her side the whole fuckin' time!

"I'm comin'." He growled, then walked past her to lead them both outside.

The air was slightly cooler than it had been in the prison and Daryl wished he had brought his jacket. Glancing back at Carol, who had stopped to inhale the fresh air, he noticed that she had put on a long-sleeve shirt that fit her figure nicely.

It was navy blue in color and made her eyes pop out more in her face. God, she was so beautiful.

"You're staring at me again, Dixon." She was suddenly beside him and nudging his side. "Do I have something on my face?"

His face felt hot and he quickly started to walk towards one of the guards towers. He needed to get a hold of himself before he freaked Carol out and she ran.

"Hey!" She called after his retreating back. "Wait for me." She had to jog to catch up to him and even then had trouble keeping up with his long strides.

Daryl didn't stop or slow down until he reached the door of the watchtowers. It was the tower they didn't use for watch, so no one should be in it at this time of night.

Fuck, he should have checked to make sure Glenn and Maggie were both in their cell.

"Don't worry," Carol said as she walked up to him, slightly out of breath. "They aren't up there." She must have seen his hesitation.

With a quick nod, he flung the door open and walked inside. Carol barely had enough time to catch the door before it closed and followed him. When she reached the top of the stairs, she found the redneck setting at the ledge of the watchtower. His legs dangled over the edge and his arms were crossed on the rail. She joined him.

"Is something bothering you?" She asked and hoped she get a reply. More often than not, Daryl would remain silent when she asked him questions like that.

"Naw."

"You sure?" She pressed.

"I'm sure."

"Okay."

It was silent for a while; the pair of them didn't say anything as they looked out over the yard. The moon cast it in its silvery glow and the Walkers by the fence looked odd in it's light. At least they couldn't hear their moans from where they sat.

"Hey," she nudged him gently. "You know, with the moonlight and everything, it's pretty romantic up here? Wanna screw around?"

She had only meant to tease him, but when he jumped to his feet and moved to walk away from her, she wished she could take the words back. Scrambling to her feet, she reached out with a hand and grabbed his arm.

"I'm sorry."

"Ya don't gotta be sorry. Ya jus' can't be sayin' stuff like that to me."

"Why not?" She asked, curious.

"Cuz one day I'll think you're serious and I know ya don't wanna screw around with someone like me." He wasn't looking at her and instead, had his focus on his boots.

"Daryl Dixon, what are you saying? Are you saying that you're not a good enough man for me? If it is, then you're wrong." She crossed her arms over her chest. For a year now, she had been trying to convince Daryl that he was a good man. No, he was a  _great_  man. One day, he needed to see that.

"I ain't, Carol."

With those three words, all she wanted to do was cry. He rarely said her name and right now he was saying it with such sadness.

She didn't think, she just did. She grasped his shoulders, leaned up on her toes and kissed him on the mouth.

He didn't respond.

"Kiss me, Daryl." She demanded softly.

He was at a loss for words and didn't say anything, so she kissed him again and this time much softer.

Gently, he pushed her away. "What are ya doin'?"

"I'm sure it was pretty obvious."

"Why?" He really didn't understand why she was kissing him. No woman had willingly kissed him before.

"I like you." This time she was the one who wasn't making eye contact. "Actually 'like' is an understatement." Her cheeks flamed.

"Love?" He asked.

She nodded.

"Oh." He was surprised. "Really?"

She nodded again and suddenly started to feel unsure. Maybe she had been wrong to assume that Daryl had any kind of feelings for her. Maybe he only saw her as a friend or a sister.

Suddenly his lips were on hers and it only took her a second to respond. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer until their bodies were flush against each other.

He groaned and detached his lips to leave a trail of kisses down her neck. "God, Carol. I'm so stupid."

Tilting her head to the side, she gave him a bigger area to work with. "Stupid? You're not stupid, Daryl."

"Yeah, I am." He was making his way back to her lips. "I should have kissed ya a lot sooner."

"Yeah," she smiled. "You should have. But now, you can kiss me whenever you feel like it and, if you want, we can start sharing a bunk."

"What?" He pulled back from her.

She smirked. "You heard me."

"I'll have to think about that." He smirked back and pulled her closer to him.

"What's there to think about, Daryl? We already share a cell, why not a bed? It's getting colder and I need a nice strong man to keep me warm at night." She kissed the corner of his mouth. "I thought you'd be up for the job." She kissed the other corner.

"Hmm," He thought a moment. "Fine. I'll share a damn bed with ya. Jus' make sure ya keep your cold feet to yourself."

Then he kissed her soundly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol takes on Terminus and wins. Finally, her and Daryl are reunited.

The night after the prison fell was the coldest night Daryl had ever experienced. Not even the blazing fire in front of him could chase away the chill in his bones. The prison was destroyed, Hershel had been killed and everyone he had come to care about were scattered to who knew where.

For all Daryl knew, he and Beth were the only survivors. He knew he should consider himself lucky that he wasn't alone unlike Carol, who was out there all by herself. If she was even still alive.

There was a stinging pain in his hand and Daryl saw that he had dug his blunt nails into his palms so hard he had pierced the skin. Thinking about why Carol was out there on her own made him angry. Rick could have waited until they had gotten back from the college. They could have worked something out, just as they had with Merle. Merle had done worse things than killing two people suffering from a sickness that was most likely going to kill them, anyways, and he had been allowed to stay.

"Daryl?" Beth's said from where she had been sleeping on the other side of the fire. "Why don't you go to sleep? I'll keep watch."

Daryl just stared over the fire at the youngest Greene girl. He hadn't said one word since their flight from the prison, not even while they had spent most of the day running from walkers. Beth was getting irritated at the lack of communication between the two of them, but smartly had stopped trying after he started to blatantly ignore her. He didn't have time for any idle conversation or want of it. His world had been tipped over. The only home he had ever known had been destroyed and the only woman he had ever loved was...gone.

Carol was  _gone._

Beth was suffering from the loss of her father and quite possibly her sister and while her way to cope was to talk, she had been stuck with the wrong person. Daryl liked to keep all the painful things locked inside. The only person he had let inside, after the death of his brother, had been Carol and she had been cruelly ripped away from him. While they had been on the roof at the college with hundreds of walkers drooling for their flesh, Daryl had decided that he'd stop being a coward and declare himself to Carol. He had been tiptoeing around her for long enough. Just his luck that she'd be gone before he could make his move. Now, he was left with a shit ton of regrets. He and Carol  _could_  have been  _something_. If only he hadn't been chicken shit.

Sighing, Daryl ran a hand through his hair and saw that since Beth was still awake, he'd try to get some sleep. Lying on his side, he put his back to the fire and closed his eyes.

* * *

That first night alone, Carol had spent the night curled up in the back of the station wagon Rick had banished her in. The thin cardigan she wore was doing nothing to take away the chill in the air. She had stopped feeling sorry for herself hours prior and now, she was left with a numb feeling inside. She wasn't going to see Mika and Lizzie, again, or Judith...or  _Daryl._  The last one had hurt the most because she knew that once he found out what she had done, he'd be disappointed in her. Probably even hate her.

Thinking back, Carol wished she had never killed Karen and David. It obviously hadn't stopped the spread of the sickness and Judith was still vulnerable. She should have just left them alone. Rick wouldn't have kicked her out and she would have been there to greet Daryl when he got back from his run with Tyreese, Michonne and Bob.

A sob escaped from her mouth before she even knew she was on the verge of tears, again. God, she hated crying. She had done enough of it this past year to last her the rest of her lifetime. With a new determination, she wiped the tears from her face, climbed over the seat and started the car. Rick had no right to kick her out, she had the right to have been put in front of the council at least. Carol was done being told what to do by a man and she was going to stick up for herself. Maybe Daryl wouldn't hate her if she were able to explain herself.

What greeted her the next morning was a scene of destruction and death. The sight nearly crippled her when she saw some people she had walked past the hallways in the cellblock turned into walkers. What had happened here? There were too many walkers for her to check the yard to see who all had turned. The pistol in her belt held only six rounds and she'd be easily surrounded if she used the knife.

There was no way for her to know who was still alive or was...dead. The only thing she could do now was turn the car around and head back down the road.

Unfortunately, a few miles down the road the car ran out of gas and she had no choice but to go out on foot. When she heard the cry of a baby, she started running.

* * *

Seeing Rick for the first time in what felt like months had been the best the thing to happen to him in a long time. It meant that at least some of his family was still alive. Beth was gone. He couldn't even keep a young girl safe. When Daryl had come across Joe and his group with a gun to Rick's head, he had been willing to sacrifice himself for them and two of Joe's men started to beat the shit out of him.

Somehow, Rick had been able to get the upper hand and they killed all of Joe's men. Terminus was their next step. However, that had turned out to be a trap and now; they were all trapped in a train car. The only good thing about it was that they were reunited with the rest of their group with the exception of Beth, Carol, Tyreese and the girls. Daryl noticed that Lil' Asskicker wasn't among them and felt a twinge in his heart. That baby had been a sign of hope for all of them and now, she was gone.

They were all probably going to die. These people were crazy and there was no way they were going to make it out alive. Daryl walked to the side of the car and slid to the ground. At least he wouldn't go out alone and with some of his family around him.

* * *

Carol focused singularly on getting to Terminus. If she let her mind wander to Mika...and Lizzie. Oh God, she couldn't think about them. Not yet. Maybe, not ever. Tyreese walked slightly ahead of her with Judith dozing off in the pack on his back.

Gunshots echoed through the trees and on instinct, they crouched down low to the ground. Judith was startled by the sudden noise and started to whimper.

"What the hell was that?" Tyreese looked over his shoulder at her.

"I don't know." Carol cautiously stood up and looked around. The gun strapped to her hip was now in her hand.

"Terminus isn't that far ahead." Tyreese walked up to her. "Do you think that...?"

"I don't know, but it'll be worth it to check it out." She started walking off the tracks. "Except we won't be going in the conventional way. If any of our group is there and there are gunshots, they can be in trouble and we'll have to help."

"But there's only two of us and we have a baby to look after," Tyreese protested.

"Then, I'll check it out and you can stay back with Judith." Carol was determined to make sure it wasn't any of her family that was on the other side of those bullets. "Give me your rifle."

"There is no way that you're going alone." Tyreese stepped away from her when she tried to reach for the rifle slung on his arm.

"Come with then." Another burst of gunfire had them running.

"Carol, stop!" Tyreese grabbed her arm and threw her behind a tree. "Look!" He pointed ahead and saw that there were three of four men kneeling by a chain link fence.

Carol was about to say something when the gunshots stopped and they could hear someone talking on a megaphone.  _"First, the ringleader. Come on, let's go."_ Tyreese's eyes narrowed in confusion but didn't say anything as the disembodied voice continued to speak. " _Next, the archer."_ Archer? Carol looked at Tyreese.

"Do you thin-?"

Tyreese made a shushing noise and they continued to listen.

_"Then, the samurai."_

"Michonne!" They both whispered at the same time.

" _Last, the kid."_

Carol covered her mouth with a hand. They had Carl, too. "We have to go in there, Tyreese. They're in trouble."  _Daryl's in trouble._

"But, how?"

* * *

The mood inside the train car was somber. They had all accepted the fact that none of them were getting out of there soon. Breaking off into little groups inside, they all had someone to cling, too. Except Daryl. He sat by himself in the corner, knees to his chest and teeth gnawing on the skin of his thumb.

When another spurt of gunfire echoed outside, no one moved or even jumped at the noise. However, when they started to hear shouting, Rick and Michonne moved to the door of the car and listened more carefully. Daryl was right behind them.

"What's going?" Glenn stood and joined them.

"Somethin' not good for our friends out there from the sound of it," Daryl snorted.

"What do you think is happening?" A man Daryl didn't know had joined the small group gathered around the door.

"I don't know," Rick said. They all ducked when some of the bullets ricocheted off the car.

"Are they shooting at us?" Sasha cried from where she stood in the back of the car and by Bob's side. The gunshots suddenly stopped and the sound of running feet approached the train car. None of them had any weapon or means to protect themselves.

Rick, Michonne and Daryl jumped back when the door slid open and they were greeted with a beautiful sight.

* * *

Carol and Tyreese decided that they had to take down the shooters by the fence before they could get anywhere near Terminus. Carol had taken one of the guns from her pack.  _Mika's._  Crouching down beside Tyreese, she let him know what they could do.

"You get two of them and I'll get the other two, okay?" She handed him another handgun,  _Lizzie's_ , even though they still had the riffle. "Stay behind that tree over there and make sure Judith is safe." There was no way another child was going to die on her watch.

"Got it." Tyreese nodded and they quietly went their separate ways. Carol got us close to the men as she could, while Tyreese stayed farther behind. Getting one of the men in her sights, she fired and was satisfied when she got a headshot. The man beside him had seen his comrade fall and turned to see who had shot him. Carol got him, too. Meanwhile, Tyreese had done the same to the other two. They weren't headshots, but the wounds were fatal.

They met at the fence and looked inside to see several train cars just resting on the tracks. A few people milled around them and a few were on the roofs. Holstering her gun, she looked over at Tyreese. "I'm going in."

Tyreese grabbed her shoulder before she could go. "By yourself? Hell no."

"You need to stay with Judith. There is no way I'm going to have you go in there with her." Carol started walking down the fence looking for a way in and when she found one, she moved to duck under the wires.

"You can get killed, Carol!" Tyreese was unrelenting.

"Keep on eye on the men on the roof. Once you have them in your sights, shoot them with the rifle. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Tyreese, please. I have to save them."  _Daryl is down there._  "But at the first sign of trouble, you take Judith and get out of here."

"Carol!" She ignored Tyreese's whispered plea and moved under the fence to run to the nearest car to hide behind. When a man rounded the corner unexpectedly, Carol didn't shoot him, knowing that the sound would attract more, so she used the fighting skills Daryl had taught her and a few others on their flight from the farm. First, she elbowed him in the gut, taking him by surprise and then, grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed his head hard into the train car. The man was out cold.

That had been easy. Too easy. Now, she was hyped up on adrenaline and all she wanted to do was take the man's rifle and shoot the place up, but that was the quickest way to get herself killed and no one would be saved, then.

Gunshots popped from behind her and she looked up to see two men tumble from the roof of the building in front. "Good shooting, Tyreese," she whispered before moving ahead. Now, the men knew someone was shooting at them and were put into a frenzy. Two men ran across her path and she cut them down quickly. Taking a quick look around, she ran to the another train car and threw her back to it. She tried to calm her breathing down and was surprised to her voices coming from the car. People were in these things?

More gunfire came from Tyreese's direction and she could only hope that more men were being put down. Creeping to the edge of the car, she peered around the corner and saw no one. Carol made sure to keep the rifle up and ready to fire, just in case anyone came to surprise. Seeing no one, she went to the front of the car and threw open the door. What met her made tears immediately come to her eyes.

* * *

Carol stood there looking like the badass she was. A rifle in one hand, another gun and her knife strapped to her hip. When she saw who was in the car she broke into a big smile and tears came to her eyes. Daryl pushed past Rick, still not believing it was her, and pulled Carol into his arms without a second thought.

"I can't believe it-" Rick was the first to speak, but was stopped when more gunfire sounded from behind them.

"Come on, we gotta get out of here!" Carol pulled out of Daryl's grasp. "Tyreese is getting the people he can, but we need to go." Daryl could see where their weapons still lied where they had to surrender and he took off towards them, Rick and Michonne weren't far behind. There was no way he was leaving his crossbow behind.

Once they grabbed them, Carol led them all to safety.

**Three Days Later**

They had all been on the run continuously for the next three days. They wanted to get as far away from Terminus as they could. Rick and Carl had been reunited with Judith and tears had been shed. Rick had even approached Carol and hugged her, apologizing for kicking her out and thanking her for keeping his daughter safe. Daryl had been dying to speak with Carol but hadn't had the chance, yet.

Finally on day three, they had come across a house and Rick decided that they were far enough away from Terminus and that they all needed the rest. Carol had spread out the remaining supplies from her pack and stood up to take her meal outside. Daryl followed.

It looked like Carol had been expecting him and moved over from her spot on the stairs of the porch to make room for him. "I missed you." She said once he was settled.

"Missed you, too."

"Do you hate me for wh-" She started right into it, but he had to interrupt.

"No," he immediately cut her off. "Don't hate you, Carol. I don't think I ever could."

"But, Daryl-"

"I know what you did and we'll talk about it later, all right? Now, I have to tell you somethin'. Somethin' I've been meanin' to tell you for a long time." It was now or never. Daryl knew he couldn't waste another second without telling Carol his feelings. He had been given a second chance and there was no way he was going to pass it up.

"What?" She looked up at him with those  _beautiful_  blue eyes and his mouth dried up.

"Aw, fuck it!" He growled and crushed his mouth to hers. Carol let out a small gasp of surprise before she desperately clung to him and kissed him back. This was a long time coming.

Pulling away, Daryl leaned his forehead against Carol's and looked right into her eyes. "I ain't goin' to go another night without you by my side, understood?"

Tears filled her eyes and she vigorously nodded. "Understood."

"Good." This time he pulled her into a gentler kiss, which he hoped projected the true extent of his feelings for her.

Passing the screen door on his way to the living room and Maggie, Glenn stopped when he saw Daryl and Carol kissing on the porch. Smiling for the first time since he had been reunited with his wife, he watched the two of them for a moment before going to find Maggie and telling her the good news.

It was about time.


End file.
